Apr 15 3 Amazing Benefits Of A Mindfulness Meditation Practice

Take a deep breath.

We all have our own personal challenges. Some of us don't sleep well, others are constantly stressed out. Have you ever gotten off work and found it so difficult to simply focus on a conversation with a spouse or friend? Maybe you have high levels of anxiety like myself. Whatever your challenge, a mindfulness meditation practice can help deepen your understanding of that challenge and help you make personal improvements. Plus it's something you can easily do in the comfort of your own home! Here are the 3 benefits I've seen from my mindfulness meditation practice.

Acceptance and Forgiveness

I know what you're thinking. I don't have time to sit still with my hands folded singing kumbaya or whatever, and if I did I wouldn't spend it doing that. Well trust me when I say, I understand. Up until last year I was attending a masters program full time, while working full time and co-owning a music business. Not to mention being a wife and friend and dog mom to my 2 labs. However, no matter how busy life gets we all need to take time for our health and not just our physical health, but our mental health too. Mindfulness meditation taught me a lot about accepting where I am in life and forgiving the obstacles of my past. I would say that's definitely worth 10 minutes of my time every day.

Self Understanding

When I first started my meditation practice I thought it would be easy. I envisioned sitting peacefully and counting my breath, feeling enlightened and going about my day more calmly. I was surprised to find how difficult it was for me to control my mind. I've never had an issue with focusing. During tests I always tended to have a razor sharp concentration, but that was when I had something to concentrate on. Meditation is the opposite of that. It takes away the distractions and all you're left with is yourself and your innermost thoughts. I've learned a lot about myself and my anxiety just based on the things my mind drifts to when I have nothing to distract it with.

The Ability To Pause

Meditation can help you learn how to take a breath before engaging. Sometimes it's best to stay out of the fray, especially if the potential for something positive to come out of it is unlikely. Now, granted there are times that you have to stand up for yourself and get into that argument. Meditation can provide some thought practice to help you decide whether that's the case and it's a battle worth fighting or teach you to pause for a breath before you get into something that's insignificant and not worth ruining your day over.

My Mindfulness Meditation practice has been facilitated through an app called Calm and I would highly recommend it. The meditations are guided and they have a Daily Calm session that focuses on something new everyday, like Conflict or Kindness. I especially like their Sleep Stories, its helped me establish a nighttime ritual to fall asleep more easily. Do you practice meditation? If so, what do you use/how do you practice? Let me know in the comments below!